This Day In Music History- Jan 15

The Supremes were signed to Motown Records in 1961.

In 1972, Don McLean hit the #1 position with "American Pie.”

Sollie McElroy of the Flamingos passed away in 1995.

Harry Nilsson ("Without You" and a Lennon crony) died of heart disease in 1994.

The Rolling Stones perform a cleaned-up "Let's Spend Some Time Together" on CBS-TV's "Ed Sullivan Show" (at Ed's request) in 1967.

"Happy Days" premiered on ABC-TV in 1974.

Today in 1977, the song "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," by Leo Sayer, topped the charts and stayed there for a week.

In 1993 the great lyricist Sammy Cahn died in Los Angeles at age 79. He was a favorite of Frank Sinatra's, he co-wrote "All the Way" and "Come Fly With Me."

In 1966, The Beatles remain at No. 1 this week in the US with "We Can Work It Out."

Eddie "Sonny" Bivins of New Jersey R&B vocal group the Manhattans ("Kiss and Say Goodbye") was born in 1942.

Famed drummer Gene Krupa was born in 1909 in Chicago.

Captain Beefheart was born in 1941, in Glendale, Calif., as Don Van Vliet.

In 1964, Vee Jay records filed a lawsuit against Capitol and Swan Records over manufacturing and distribution rights to Beatles recordings.

Elvis Presley reportedly drew the largest audience for a single TV show at the time, when he presented a live, worldwide concert from Honolulu in 1972.

Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist, Ronnie Van Zant, was born in Jacksonville, FL in 1948.

Drummer Charlie Watts joined the Rolling Stones in 1962.

Guitarist Joe Walsh made his debut with the Eagles in 1976 and signs on for the group’s Australia/Japan tour.

The Eagles’ “Hotel California” is the #1 album in the U.S. in 1977. The album is already platinum (one million sales) and contains the title track and “New Kid In Town.”

The Beach Boys enter Billboard's Hot 100 for the 23rd time with their version of "Barbara Ann", (previously a hit for the Regents in 1961). The song was recorded live at a party and actually features the voice of Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean on lead vocal. The record peaked at #2 in the US and stayed on the charts for eleven weeks.

In 1983, Australia's Men At Work owned both number one spots on the US albums and singles charts. "Down Under" was the second #1 single from the "Business As Usual" album, following "Who Can It Be Now.” The L.P. was also at the top of the UK chart, a feat previously accomplished only by Rod Stewart, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles.

Sean Lennon's remake of his father's hit, "Give Peace A Chance" was released in 1991 to coincide with the United Nation's midnight deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. The lyrics are updated to reflect the concerns of the day.

An oddity in the music business occurred in 1969 when Atlantic Records traded the contract of -Richie Furay for Graham Nash-with CBS Records. Furay is now free to work with Poco and Graham can partner with David Crosby and Stephen Stills for CS&N.